Postcard tour

a.k.a. "Bringing the world to trial users."

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In furtherance of this plan, I will be scripting a "Projection TV" for this slide show. The TV will be designed in such a way that mentors (or a new group specific to this project) will be able to drop snapshots and their associated landmarks on the set, to be automatically added to the show. (Note that each image should have an associated landmark, details of linking them together will be worked out during scripting.)

I may create a new group specifically for the purpose of determining who will have the rights to add images to the slideshow, as well as have the right to actually "control" the display.

When a non-controlling user touches the display, they will be given the landmark that corresponds to the currently displayed snapshot.

If I can get the Lindens to let me set it up permanently and leave it somewhere, it will have two modes of operation: controlled (snapshot changes on command from group members) and automated (snapshot changes on a timer). The automated version will allow trial users to get some of the benefit of the presentation even if there are no group members present to actually give a "presentation." Possibly also a third mode, where a user can interact with the projector at their own pace, instead of having to wait for a particular snapshot to appear (say, if they're waiting to grab a specific landmark.)

It may also, at some point, be possible to script auto-text for each snapshot, so that the projector can actually give part of the presentation using a static "speech". This would be both for the presenter's benefit, to save typing, and also provide some sort of information when in automated mode.

While I'm not sure, at the moment, whether the projector will actually be able to give landmarks to trial accounts, the trial users who are interested would be able to come back after their accounts are activated and collect the landmarks. This gives those interested the opportunity to visit the sites themselves once the restrictions have been lifted, and view the builds in more detail.

I'm still debating on whether to grandfather some snapshots, so that they will remain part of the "this is what you can do with SL" portion of the presentation, even after the build(s) have been removed. In this case, obviously, landmarks would be useless.

So, I'm starting this thread to see who thinks this is a good/bad idea, take suggestions to improve the idea, and see who's possibly interested in helping maintain the snapshot/landmark content. (Just be aware that snapshots cost $10 a pop, because you're basically uploading a screenshot.)

Also, do you guys think that any mentor should be able to use this for presentations, or should there be a specific group of "Postcard Tour Guides"?

And finally, who do I need to talk to about becoming a mentor, myself?

This is a great idea! I'd love to be able to put a few images of Kazenojin station (updatable, as we are under construction
again) into such a slideshow. I think this would be a great enticement for trial users to sign on and come visit.

Grim,

I'm sure americana would like to take part as well. Stop by Blue, or drop me a line in world to chat.

-Bone

Grim, I hope I'm not telling stories out of class, but talk to Steller. She already has a working TV in her tree house that shows pics of SL when it was Alpha.

You two working together could come up with something awesome.


-TK


PS....this is a GREAT idea. If I can help, let me know

I would be interested in helping too, Grim... (8

You could set it so only those in your group can edit/add the pictures... and you can have those interested in adding their own pictures and landmarks IM someone in the group with a folder containing the image and the LM. (i.e. folder named Boardman Open Market with a pic of the market inside and a LM)

You could also display the current picture name above the TV so people could learn the names of sites...

You could have a notecard that new users could obtain if they clicked on the TV about the different places too... or have separate notecards for each new screenshot. (8

Just throwing out ideas... (;

I also like the separation of pics between current builds and archives. I think archives would be good to show them what has been/can be done in SL. (8

I haven't used it myself, but isn't there already a slide projector system set up at Stage 4 in Ahern?

Yes, but I believe access is restricted, and it's not actually a "slideshow" like I'm talking about. It's just a large screen that certain people are allowed to put textures on, one at a time.

This sounds like a great project, but you guys should know that we're going to remove the trial movement limits when we release 1.0.5 tomomorow morning. Trial accounts will still be sharply limited but will be able to see the whole world.

Nonetheless, I think your postcard tour would be a great way to encourage them to do so.

Well,

it was a good idea when I thought of it, anyway.

:-/

The trial users may be free to roam but they don't have much chance of seeing the good stuff unless you point it out to them. And Linden will support it:


/3/9b/1083/1.html

Yeah, definitely still a GREAT idea.

Although all the 'cool stuff' in SL is technically out there, the observed probability of users actually finding it all or surveying it in a reasonable way is low. We've built the teleport tools to help, but they still don't totally work.

So a 'sampler' of what is to be found, administered by you guys not us, is probably an incredibly powerful way to show the world to others and have a good time to boot.

So keep at it!

Heck, I've been in Second Life for a long time, and I still find out about really popular things about a week or two after they're actually made, and for all I know, there's still stuff out there that's really cool but I don't know about it. Keep this project up, include landmarks, and I'll definitely take a look!
(as if Philip's pushing didn't do enough, haha)

I just got home >_<

But: Grim, if you do keep this up, I agree that it would still have value as a way to find out about Cool Things (tm). Especially when one's a noob and needs a good place to start on seeing the Wonders of SL and cutting through the information overload.

(edited: not sure if it was clear, but I would love to be part of this)

Still sounds like a great idea, this way the newbies can start out armed with lms to places they like the look of.

Can the advert booths in Dore(?) be modified for this? They already accept a picture & lm, and give the lm out to the user (although I think it's on touch rather than automatically).

The postcard tour is a great idea. Anything you can do to help noobs is ultimately good for SL. It's easy for a new member to be overwhelmed by all the choices and this will let them zone right in on things they might be interested in. All the better that they can now actually visit those places! This will make the idea even more successful, imo.
Skyllar

OK, here's the quandry:

feniks already runs a "Landmark Party" event once or twice a week. (Actually, I was thinking of hitting this event to get snapshots and landmarks.)

I really don't want to step on someone else's toes, or dilute someone else's project/event. Now that the trial users are able to attend feniks' landmark events, there's really no point to my idea.

Unless it becomes something that can be permanently set up in the welcome area or vicinity, and will not be an "event" but an automated contraption that operates 24/7.

My finalized plan before this turn of events was to have scripted "post cards" that would contain snapshots, a notecard, and a landmark. These "post cards" would be dropped onto the projector and become part of the slide show. (The notecard contains a short blurb that the projector auto-reads when opening the card. The landmark is offered to anyone who clicks on the screen while a related snapshot is displayed. These two ideas could be combined so that the landmark is embedded in the notecard. A postcard could have more than one embedded snapshot.)

I did look at the projector at Stage4 this morning. It does, apparently, do slide shows, but I was unable to determine whether or not I could use it. (I fooled with it for several minutes, and even read the notecard, but was unable to figure out how to put a snapshot up on the projector.)